Real Madrid vs. Malaga: Winners and Losers from Liga Game

Real Madrid kept up their pursuit of Barcelona with a 3-1 victory over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it wasn't exactly comfortable.

Goals from Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo were enough to see off the Andalusian outfit, but Los Blancos didn't have it all their way.

Juanmi scored and Malaga went close on several occasions but in the end couldn't deny Madrid a home victory.

Here are the winners and losers from the game.

Winner: James Rodriguez

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Real Madrid's starting XI is fairly set. We know Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo will start up front. The defence and goalkeeper rarely change, and Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are permanent fixtures.

The one spot in the team that is up for grabs is the third midfield place. James Rodriguez and Isco are the men fighting for it.

Against Malaga, Carlo Ancelotti wasn't forced to choose between the two, given Benzema's injury.

But in general, both men know that poor performances will lead to the other taking their spot.

James made his presence known in this match, scoring a brilliant goal after playing one-twos with Isco and Ronaldo.

He started ahead of Isco in the week, against Atletico in the Champions League and at the moment is ahead of the former Malaga man on Ancelotti's list.

Losers: Gareth Bale and Luka Modric

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

It took just four minutes for Gareth Bale to get injured.

The Welshman seemed to suffer a calf problem during the game and was taken off for Javier Hernandez.

Judging by the pulling motion he was making to the bench, he won't be ready to play in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.

Even more of a blow is the injury to Luka Modric.

After going in for a challenge with Recio, the Croatian hurt his knee and had to be substituted for Asier Illarramendi.

An early report from AS (h/t ESPN's Dermot Corrigan) indicates that he will be out for around five to six weeks, a huge blow for Real Madrid.

Modric missed nearly four months of the season already, and this is a bitter pill for him to swallow.

Winner: Nordin Amrabat

Daniel Tejedor/Associated Press

Nordin Amrabat had a fantastic game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Dutch attacking midfielder led Real Madrid's defender a merry dance, stinging Iker Casillas' fingertips with an early effort and creating several opportunities for his team-mates.

One surge saw him fight off the attentions of Pepe with remarkable power before crossing for Juanmi, but the forward couldn't reach it.

Another cross for Juanmi narrowly evaded the forward, and Casillas grabbed it with a sigh of relief.

He was also brutally taken out by Toni Kroos, who lacked the pace to keep with Amrabat when Malaga were breaking.

On loan from Galatasaray, if he wants to stay in La Liga, he should have no shortage of suitors.

Loser: Raphael Varane

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Raphael Varane plays a brilliant game for Real Madrid against Atletico in the Champions League in midweek, and his reward is to sit on the bench.

The French centre-back must seriously be considering his future at Real Madrid.

Sure, Sergio Ramos and Pepe can't last forever, but the latter has signed a contract extension and the former is likely to do so soon.

Carlo Ancelotti prefers the two more experienced players to play at the back for Madrid, and Varane needs games.

This is a crucial period for a 21-year-old footballer to be playing, growing and developing. He will be wondering if that has to be elsewhere.

Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Cristiano Ronaldo got his goal, rolling home in the last minute from a yard out, but his crucial contributions came before that.

It was Ronaldo's free-kick that Sergio Ramos nodded in for the opener and Ronaldo's lay-off that James Rodriguez bashed into the top right corner for the second.

People say Ronaldo is too focused on scoring goals, but the truth is he creates plenty for his team-mates too.

Speaking of goals, he became the first player in Spanish football history to net 50 or more five seasons in a row.

The one he grabbed at the end was his 50th of the season and 39th in La Liga.